Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-04-09
How to Avoid Premature Old Age.

How to Avoid Premature Old Age.
The following good advice is
given by Dr.Beniamin Ward Rich.
ardson: The rules for the proven
ton ofsenile diseases are all person
al. They should begin in youth
1t should be ruleamong grown-up
PERSONS never to subject children
to mental shocks and unnecessary
griefs. When. in the surrounding
of child life, some grave calamity
has occurred, it is best to make the
event as light rs possible to the
child, and certainly to avoid thrill
ing it with sights and detailswhich
stir it to the utmost, and in the end
only leave upon the mind and heart
incnrable wounds and expressions.
Children should never he taken to
funerals, nor to sights that cause .
sense of fear and dread combined
with great grief, norto sights which
call forth pain and agony in man
or in the lower animals.
10 avoid premature old age in
mature life, the following are i'm (.
portant points to remember:
Grief anticipates age. Dwelling
on the inevitable past, forming vain
hypothesis as to what might have
been if tins or that had or had not
been, acquiring craze for recount.
ing what had occurred-these acts
do more harm to future health and
effort than many things connected
with real calamity. Occupation
and new pursuits are the best pre-
yentatives for mental shock and be-
reayement.
Hateanticipates age. Hate keeps
the heart always in full tension. IT
gives rise to oppression of the brain
aud senses. 1t confuses the whole
man. 1t robs the stomach Of ner-
vous power, and digestion being
impaired the failure of life begins
at once. Those, therefore, who are
born with this passion-and II good
many, l fear, are-should give it
up.
Jealousy anticipates age. The
facial expression Of Jealousy is old
age, in however Young u face it
may he cast. jealousy preys upon
and kills the heart. So jealous
men are not only unhappy, but
broken hcarted.and live short lives.
| have never known a man Of .ieal-
Gus nature live anything like a
long or useful life. The proven
tion of jealousy is diversion of
mind toward useful and unselfish
work.
Unchastity anticipates age
Everything that interteres with
chastity tavors vital deterioration
while the grosser departures from
chastity, leading to specific and he.
reditary diseases, are certain caus.
eS Of organic degeneration and pre-
mature old age. Thus chastity is
preventative of Senile decay
Iutempcrance anticipates age
The more social causes of mental
aud physical organic diseases are
investigated, the more closely the
origin of degeneratiye organic
changes leading to premature de-
terioration and decay are question.
ed, the more closely does it come
out that Incompetence, often not
suspected bv the person himself
who is inpllc;'ied III it. 40 subtle is
its Influence, Is arathe root OF evil.
When old age has really COM
menced, its march toward final de
cay is best delayed by attention to
those rules OF conservation by
" hlch life is sustained with the
least friction ana the least waste.
The prime rules for this purpose
are:
To subsiSt OH light but nutritious
diet. with milk as the standard
food, varied according TO season.
TO take food in moderate guam
tlty, four times in The day inclnd
ing light meal before going to
bed.
To cloihe warmly, but lightly, so
that the body may, in all seasons.
maintain an equal temperature.
To keep the body in fair exer-
else and the mind active and cheer
tul.
10 maintain an interest in what
is going on in the world and to take
part in reasonable labors and pleas.
ures, as though old age were not
present.
To take plenty OF sleep during
sleeping hours, to spend nine hours
in bed at the least, and to take care
during cold weather that the ten.
perature of the bed room is main
tanned at sixty degrees Fahren-
heit.
To avoid passion, excitement,
luxury.